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Welcome<\/em> to new GMS students and Welcome Back<\/em> to those returning to campus and classes.\u00a0 It is a pleasure to see familiar faces again and meet new ones, both virtual and in-person. \u00a0This semester those of us in class are linked to some of you remotely– across cities, across the US and across the globe.\u00a0 Many of you are participating from many time zones and some from other countries. \u00a0This is the great strength of BU\u2019s Learn from Anywhere<\/em> model as we move into the fall semester.<\/p>\n It is a strength, but it may also feel like we are scattered.\u00a0 I remind you of what ties us together in the GMS community.\u00a0 At the heart of all of us, we share a fundamental passion for the biomedical sciences, a relentless need to satisfy curiosity and a commitment to service for the betterment of others.<\/p>\n Whether studying the microenvironment of tumors or training in mental health assessment and diagnosis, GMS students make a difference. \u00a0This pandemic has brought this out with resounding clarity.<\/p>\n Richard Giadone was only days from his PhD defense when the enormous pandemic surge hit Boston in April.\u00a0 He immediately pivoted and was a leader on the team that developed the virus test used by Boston Medical Center, our partner hospital. Other GMS students contributed to sourcing reagents, finding PPE and making media for the tests because supply chains were broken and patients were pouring in to a hospital under siege.\u00a0 Our students made a difference.<\/p>\n The battle continues now in the research laboratories.\u00a0 PhD candidate Ellen Suder has established new quantitative imaging assays to test antiviral compounds against SARS-CoV-2. \u00a0Others are developing new strategies to study the virus, its impact on our immune system, and the complex reasons why lungs are so susceptible to this infection.<\/p>\n This is where you will make a difference-\u00a0 connecting with patients, advancing understanding in the biomedical sciences, learning analytical and critical thinking strategies and turning these into your path to a successful career.<\/p>\n These values of passion, teamwork and selfless commitment to others are the foundation of GMS and BU.\u00a0 Within these, we embrace diversity of all peoples and cultures, diversity of thought, perspective \u00a0and experience, and unfailing respect for our differences.\u00a0 We do not tolerate racism or discrimination in any form on any platform.\u00a0 Not just because it\u2019s the law, but because it\u2019s the right thing to do.\u00a0 It is what we all must do.<\/p>\n And I\u2019m obligated to remind you that while BU\u2019s Learn from Anywhere<\/em> is an education model, it is also an enormous experiment.\u00a0 Thousands of hours of planning have gone into the design and execution of this experiment so that you will have choices in your graduate education.\u00a0 From a scientific perspective, I have to say that BU\u2019s virus testing, monitoring and contact tracing programs are unbelievably impressive.\u00a0 A capacity of 5,000 tests per day rivals that of most cities and the process is working-\u00a0 it is organized, simple, easy and the data sharing is transparent to the community.\u00a0 There is no question of the university\u2019s commitment to your education and your safety.<\/p>\n That said, it has been a winding journey to get here.\u00a0 All of you have my sincere thanks for your patience and resilience over the last few months as we worked through the logistics of this experiment. \u00a0These first few weeks will ask more patience from you as we continue to hammer out remaining details and make adjustments.\u00a0 Again, I thank you for your continued professionalism and commitment to your graduate education.<\/p>\n And now it is your turn to contribute. \u00a0For those of you who will be coming to campus, we are absolutely delighted to see you so long as you wear a mask, keep your social distance, fulfill your daily monitoring and any required testing, and help us keep classrooms clean.\u00a0 It will take all of us to make this work, whether we\u2019re on campus or off campus, in the classroom or at home.<\/p>\n For those of you who will participate remotely, thank you for your patience as the faculty become comfortable with new modalities of teaching.\u00a0 Some of which, I have to say, have resonated greatly with faculty and students and are likely to be continued into the future.\u00a0 Indeed there is great potential for progress even in the midst of darkness.<\/p>\n At last count we have 409 new Masters students and 46 new PhD students for our many and diverse programs, well above our enrollment from last year.\u00a0 This is a great and brave class for GMS. \u00a0On behalf of all the faculty and staff in GMS, I welcome you and look forward to working with you in this academic year.<\/p>\n With warm regards,<\/p>\n Dr. S-K<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Deborah J Stearns-Kurosawa, PhD<\/p>\n Interim Associate Provost, BUMC and Associate Dean, GMS<\/p>\n